Building Information Modelling (BIM) is transforming how buildings are designed but in some cases they are still not as energy efficient as they could be.

Valve manufacturer Frese is tackling the issue head-on by making all of its super-efficient dynamic balancing and pressure independent control valves available in digital form for architects, designers and facilities managers.

BIM allows building designers to create 3D models of buildings featuring digital versions of all the systems contained within the structure. This means that buildings can be created on-screen and the efficiency, energy consumption and other variables can be measured and tested before physical installation.

In the recent Adoption of BIM manufacturers survey 40% of respondents already offer BIM and around half of respondents plan to before 2016.

Now contractors can visit http://www.frese.eu/en-GB/2D-drawings-and-3D-models and download Frese valves to drop into their digital models to create super-efficient heating and ventilation systems. Facilities managers can place Frese valves into existing BIM to retro-fit systems with the firm’s range of dynamic balancing valves and PICVs.

BIM is driving down the cost of building design and by making their products available in the format, Frese is helping ensure that architects and designers are able to build systems which continue to keep costs down once the build is complete.

“Making all our valves available in BIM format was a significant task,” said Frese UK Managing Director Stephen Hart.

“But with BIM becoming ever more prevalent as a cost-effective way to design and manage buildings, we felt it was important to ensure our products can be downloaded and used in new designs.

“Costs do not end with the design and build of a system, there is a running cost associated with a building during its lifetime. The ability to design systems featuring super-efficient valves like the Frese OPTIMA Compact – which can improve efficiency by up to 50% – in BIM and know they can be installed on-site without the need for the heating system to be manually balanced means there are immediate cost savings at the design stage.

“Facilities managers also benefit as they will control a building which is highly energy efficient and a system which avoids excessive temperature variations by achieving and maintaining the required system delta T under all operating conditions.

“This supports initiatives such as seasonal and continuous commissioning which emphasises the need for hydronic heating and cooling systems to be balanced at all load conditions, not just peak.

“This is also true of systems where Frese valves are retrofitted. Facilities managers who use BIM to identify where maintenance work is required can see on-screen where Frese valves can be fitted and how they will make the system more efficient.”